How horses are shipped

The horses are usually loaded into crates on a plane and inspected by federal veterinarians to see if they are suitable for transport and if there is appropriate aircraft accommodations, the CFIA states.

“The CFIA inspectors work diligently to enforce the Health of Animals Act and Regulations to ensure that all animals, including horses, are properly certified, fit to travel and transported humanely,” Maria Kubacki with the CFIA said.

Dr. Maureen Harper, a former veterinarian with the CFIA, disagrees with the agency and believes they are breaking its own regulations.

According to Section 141.9 of the Health of Animal Regulation, horses over 14 hands in height must be segregated for air transport. The containers also have to be built tall enough, so an animal’s head is not touching the top of the container.

However, the CFIA said horses are shipped together in crates and not segregated if they are”assessed to be compatible during travel.”

Horses shipped out of the Calgary International Airport May 16, 2017.

Section 141.9 of the Health of Animal Regulation states the horses heads cannot touch the top of the crates.

The horses are loaded into crates, which have to be 14 hands in height, according to the CFIA.

Horses shipped out of the Calgary International Airport May 16, 2017.

Horses shipped out of the Calgary International Airport May 16, 2017.

Horses shipped out of the Calgary International Airport May 16, 2017.

Horses shipped out of the Calgary International Airport May 16, 2017.

Horses shipped out of the Calgary International Airport May 16, 2017.

Horses shipped out of the Calgary International Airport May 16, 2017.

Horses shipped out of the Calgary International Airport May 16, 2017.

Horses shipped out of the Calgary International Airport May 16, 2017.

Horses shipped out of the Calgary International Airport May 16, 2017.

Horses shipped out of the Calgary International Airport May 16, 2017.

“The CFIA feels horses travel better together than apart,” Harper said. “This is okay if the horses know one another, but not when they’re strangers.”

Harper said the horses are usually quickly loaded on the crates, meaning it would be nearly impossible for veterinaries to tell which animals know one another.

“The CFIA is turning a blind eye to their own regulations,” Harper said. “They are stuffing them in like a can of sardines.”

According to a letter from Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, when horses are shipped to Japan by air, professional judgement and previous experience indicate that the horses can travel safely and comfortably without segregation.

Global News reached out to a company that ships horses out of Manitoba for comment, but they did not want to comment.

Horse meat regulation

Davis said many horse owners, such as herself, inject their animals with an anti-inflammatory pill, known as phenylbutazone (bute). It helps alleviate inflammation in horses, but it’s not fit for human consumption, according to researchers.

Most drugs clear out of a horse’s system within six months, but some remain a permanent danger to humans, she said.

More than 54,000 horses were slaughtered in Canada in 2016. That’s nearly 13.8 million kilograms of horse meat that was shipped to countries like Japan, Switzerland, France and Belgium in 2016, according to the federal government. Some horse meat is consumed in Canada, mostly in Quebec, but much of it is exported.

WATCH: Horse meat found in many grocery stores in Montreal

A delicacy in Japan

Horse meat is a delicacy in many parts of the world, especially in Kumamto, a city in Japan’s island of Kyushu. There’s even a store and restaurant — Ma Sakura — that specializes in horse meat.

“Our shop fell in love with the taste of Kumamoto horse meat and opened it in November 2005,” Hideto Takaki, an employee of the store said.

Ethics

Although it’s a popular meat in other countries, consuming horse can be a taboo industry in Canada, according to Dr. Melanie Joy, a Harvard psychologist and author of Why We Eat Pigs, Love Dogs and Wear Cows.

“We haven’t been socialized for disconnect with horses,” Joy said. “Animals like monkeys or gorillas we see as beings, for example, not food. It’s the difference between eating someone, not something.”

The taboo industry has sparked some concerns for Canadians, including the advocacy group, Canadian Horse Defend Coalition (CHDC). The group protests the live shipments of horses and documents the animals being sent overseas.

“Horses have not traditionally been raised as food animals, and we are committed to exposing the health and safety risks involved in this industry,” the Canadian Horse Defend Coalition stated in an email.